Platform rocker



E. R. PICKENS PLATFORM ROCKER Aug. 28, 1951 Filed Aug. 4, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

ERNEST R PICKENS TTO RNEYS Patented Aug. 28, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLATFORM ROCKER Ernest R. Pickens, Dinuba, Calif.

Application August 4, 1948, Serial No. 42,387

. 3 Claims.

This invention relates to furniture and more particularly to platform rockers.

In the manufacture of furniture and especially of platform rockers, the rockers have invariably been made to seat only one person. In fact it has been considered infeasible to embody the soothing rocking motion of a platform rocker in a chair, settee or the like suitable for more than one person. Demand for such a piece of furniture has been so great as to bring about extensive experimentation to the end of producing such a device possessing the attributes of the platform rockers.

Therefore, it is an-object of the present invention to provide a platform rocker with increased width which will comfortably accommodate two or more people.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a platform rocker o'fincreased width whereby the rocker is made more useful and space saving because of its greater seating capacity.

Another object is to provide a piece of furniture, adapted to seat a plurality of people, that is characterized by increased comfort of users thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a platform rocker made in-the form of a settee or love seat having a simple construction, a pleasing appearance, dependable operation, and enhanced comfort for occupants thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following description taken in connection'with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a platform rocker employing th principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the platform rocker.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the rocker, taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 2, with the line 2-2 therein indicating the plane through which the section of Fig. 2 is taken,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view through the springs and attaching means therefor, taken along line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Referring to the specific details of the drawings, the platform rocker comprises a base, indicated generally by the reference numeral Ill, which consists of front and rear members H and a pair of end members l2 secured together in rectangular relationship and adapted to be located horizontally on a floor or like support. A pair of guide members l3 extend transversely between the front and rear frame members II with a spacer l5 located therebetween. The spacer I5 is nar- 2 rower than the vertical width of the stretchers |3 providing a space for the reception of alocator hereinafter described in greater detail.

A seat frame, indicated generally by the referencenumeral l8, comprises a rear member |9 and a front seat frame member 20 secured in horizontal spaced relationship by means of seat frame end members 22. The frame is made from wood or any other suitable material. A rocker Z4 is securely attached to the inner face of each of the seat frame end members 22 between the front and rear seat members I!) and 20. Another pair of rockers 25 are secured horizontally between the front and rear seat frame members |9 and 2|! at a location substantially midway between the end seat frame members 22 with a locator 2'! secured therebetween and extending downwardly therefrom adapted to ride in the space between the stretcher members l3 whereby the seat is held in fixed longitudinal position relative to the base frame member ID. Each of the rockers is formed with an arcuate underside, as shown in the drawings.

An upholstered seat 30 is located over the seat frame I 8 and is attached thereto in the usual manner. The end seat frame members 22 extend upwardly and rearwardly in the portions 3| with a cross piece 32 attached to and extending horizontally between the upper ends thereof. Another cross piece 33 is attached to and extends horizontally between the seat members 3| in spaced parallel relationship to the cross piece 32 and positioned therebelow. An upholstered seat back 31 is secured over and around the seat frame members 3|, 32, and 33 and is attached thereto in the usual manner. A wooden arm 38, of any desired design or shape, is attached to each end of the rocker between the seat frame members 3| and 22.

An angle bracket 4|] is attached to the inner side of each of the base frame members l2 and to the outer sides of each of the stretchers l3 by means of a plurality of attaching bolts 4|. A complementary angle bracket 43 is secured above each of the angle brackets 40, one to the inner face of each of the rockers 24 and one to each outer face of the rockers 25 by means of attaching bolts 44. A pair of helical springs 45 are located between each vertically located pair of brackets 40 and 43 and are secured to each of the brackets by means of the attaching bolts 46.

Operation The base frame ID, the seat frame l8 with the upholstered seat 30 attached thereto and the upholstered seat back 31 are constructed of a rest position. Each of the springs 65 is secured,

under initial tension between the brackets 40 and 43 whereby the rocker is yieldably held in this normal, or rest, position.

With a person or persons on the seat, the

rocker may be oscillated forwardly and rearwardly intermittingly, the rocking motion thereof tilting the rocker forwardly or rearwardly of its rest position. When the rocker is rocked. from this rest position the springs 45 tend to pull the rocker back to its normal position whereby a periodic rocking effect is obtained through the urgency of the springs.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have devised a platform rocker with increased width whereby two or more people may be seated thereon resulting in a rocker that is more useful, space saving, and proportioned for a neater appearance thereof.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and structures.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a platform rocker having a base and seat, means for supporting the seat on the base comprising a pair of fore and aft horizontally extending horizontally spaced parallel guide members secured to the base each having a fiat upper side, a spacer mounted between the spaced guide members and therewith defining an upwardly disposed channel, a pair of horizontally extending horizontally spaced parallel rocker members secured to the seat each having an arcuate underside adapted to rock on the upper side of each guide member, a horizontally extending locator secured longitudinally between the pair of rockers and extending downwardly therefrom adapted to be located in vertical slideable relation in the channel, and resilient means extending between the rockers and the guide members for yieldably urging the rockers in to a predetermined rocking position.

2. In a platform rocker having a base and a seat, means for supporting the seat on the base comprising a pair of fore and aft horizontally extending spaced parallel guide members secured to the base each having a horizontal fiat upper side, a spacer mounted between the spaced guide members and therewith defining a channel, an upwardly disposed pair of horizontally extending spaced parallel rocker members secured to the underside of the seat, each rocker having an arcuate underside adapted to rock on the upper side of each of the guide members, a horizontally extending locator secured longitudinally between the pair of rockers and extending downwardly therefrom adapted to be located in vertically slideable relation in the channel, and a pair of vertically positioned helical tension springs secured under tension between each rocker and each guide member, each pair of springs being located in space parallel relationship at opposite sides of the rockers and guide members.

3. In a platform rocker having a substantially rectangular base and seat, means for supporting the seat on the base comprising a pair of fore and aft horizontally extending horizontally spaced parallel guide members secured centrally to the base, said members having substantially flat upper sides, a spacer mounted between the spaced guide members and therewith defining an up wardly' disposed channel, a pair of horizontally extending horizontally spaced parallel rocker members centrally secured to the seat each having an arcuate underside adapted to rock on the upper side of each guide member, a locator secured longitudinally between the pair of rockers and extending downwardly therefrom and slidably received in the channel, an end member having a fiat upper side at each end of the base in parallel relation to the centrally located guide members, a rocker member secured to the inner end of each side member of the seat having an arcuate underside adapted to rock on the upper side of their respectively adjacent end members of the base, and a pair of vertically positioned helical tension springs secured under initial tension between each central rocker member and its respective guide member and each end rocker member and its respective base end member, the rocker members having a normal rest position defining rest contact positions with their respective guide members and end members, the springs of each pair being positioned substantially equal distances on Opposite sides of their respective rocker members rest contact positions.

ERNEST R. PICKENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references file of this patent:

are of record in the UNITED STATES PATENTS 

